There’s been quite a bit of construction work going on under and around the viaduct arches in Castlefield over these past couple of weeks.
And eagle-eyed fans will have spotted that’s because the Peaky Blinders are in town.
Looking almost unrecognisable to those who know our city centre, but extremely familiar for viewers of the cult-favourite BBC drama series – which follows the exploits of the Shelby crime family, lead by celebrated Irish actor Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, in the direct aftermath of the First World War – Castlefield has undergone quite the transformation to pay resemblance to the show’s setting of early-1900s Birmingham, and it’s a pretty impressive step back in time.
Filming for the sixth series of the hit show was confirmed to have already begun last month, with cast members having already been spotted outside The Plaza in Stockport and on Formby Beach earlier in February, and now production crews are getting ready to pitch-up in Manchester in the coming weeks.
So in preparation for their arrival, sets have started to take shape around the city centre.
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Several wooden scaffolds, market-style props, trader signs, sacks, barrels and more have been seen dotted around the area, with the Shelby’s famous ‘The Garrison’ pub being the most notable sight to viewers.
Fans have been taking to social media to share their snapshots of the sets.
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Just like most sectors and industries, film and television production was inevitably shut down when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic first hit back in March 2020.
But over the past couple of months, the action has started picking back up once again.
Peaky Blinders joins the long and ever-growing list of TV shows, blockbuster films, and independent productions to be filmed in and around Greater Manchester in recent years, with everything from hit Netflix series’ The Crown, The Stranger, White Lines and The English Game, to upcoming ITV show Viewpoint – starring Noel Clarke – and more, as well as the notable stand-out Channel 4 five-part drama series It’s A Sin.
Thanks to our industrial history, canals and old-fashioned bridge arches that still remain today though, this isn’t the first time Peaky Blinders has made use of Greater Manchester towns and cities as filming locations either, as parts of previous series’ of the show have been shot at the city’s iconic Victoria Baths, as well as Bolton’s Le Mans Crescent as a double-up for 1920s London, and more.
The streets of Liverpool, and Arley Hall in Cheshire, also make up some of the other North West sights used as filming locations for the show over the years.
Spotting recognisable locations around the region while watching the beloved and critically-acclaimed show has become a regular occurrence for Mancunians since it first aired on our screens back back in 2013.
And it looks like this is only going to continue in Series 6.
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The Chestergate pub in Stockport is at it again with some of the most wonderfully Manc scenes you’ll ever see
Danny Jones
The legendary Chestergate pub in Stockport is back with another belter of a video, following on from their viral belly-flashing clip of 2022.
The Mersey Square boozer has painted yet another quintessentially Northern depiction of UK pub culture with the latest Manc scenes they’ve captured around the karaoke machine.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of stumbling into The Chestergate in Stockport town centre, the long-standing boozer currently operated by publican chain Blind Tiger Inns, you’re seriously missing out.
While it might not be the flashiest of pubs, when it comes to entertainment, it always delivers.
Whether it’s stunts like renaming themselves ‘The Southgate’ whenever the Euros or World Cup rolls around, or the locals just genuinely having a whale of a time no matter what day of the week it is, it really sums up the best of pub culture.
The Chestergate went viral for some of the most British footage ever caught on film back in 2022 and the videos saw a huge wave of love and support flooding in for the pub, as well as a healthy amount of chuckles. Safe to say we were chuffed to see them pop back up on our feed again recently.
Karaoke night at The Chestergate literally never disappoints.
Forget ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ or ‘Champagne Supernova’ for karaoke songs – we’ll take a cacophony of inaudible throwback pop music, whilst another bloke and his hype man try and MC over a totally ill-fitting beat any day of the week.
And that’s handy because you’ll find those kinds of shenanigans happening at this place all the time.
It’s simultaneously one of the most no-nonsense and somehow a non-stop shenanigan-filled paradise. They also look after their own and consider their regulars part of the family. Case and point: they threw their very own ‘Dancing Queen’ Molly a big bash for her 86th birthday and it’s such wholesome viewing.
At this point, it’s worth flagging that we have nothing but envy for these folks and anyone who’s just out there having the time of their lives on any random weeknight.
Yes, it produced plenty of laughs for those watching online in recent times but this lot won’t mind one bit – not only is the pub seeing more and more new faces through the door but that’s the whole point of a pub, isn’t it? Going for a pint with your nearest and dearest and having a laugh.
Not only is it very Manchester but it’s Britain at its very best.
We hope to see you at The Chestergate pub in Stockport for a pint or two sometime soon and we’re making a bit of a prat of ourselves, don’t worry, we’re sure they’ll have the cameras ready for you.
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style
Emily Sergeant
A warning has been issued to tailgaters and motorway middle lane hoggers urging them to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style.
Do you find yourself guilty of two of the biggest driving sins from time to time?
Well, according to the latest figures released by National Highways, one in three motorists have admitted to middle lane hogging in their lives, while one in four have committed acts of tailgating on some of the UK’s fastest roads.
These shocking survey findings – which were released back in early March as the Government-owned road management company launched a new campaign – showed that lane hogging was among the behaviours that are most likely to cause motorists and passengers to feel ‘frustrated’, and tailgating was most likely to cause feelings of unease, stress, and anxiety.
Nearly a third (32%) of drivers admitted to lane hogging ‘at least occasionally’ while driving on England’s motorways and major A roads, according to the survey – which polled 2,500 adults between the ages of 16-75.
On top of this, almost seven in ten adults in England (67%) said close following or tailgating is a ‘serious problem’ on these types of roads, but nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to doing it from time to time.
Tut-tut.
It’s these very statistics which have led National Highways to issue an urgent warning that calls on these motorists to “carefully consider” their driving habits, as “little changes can change everything”.
Lane hogging and tailgating both fall under the offence of ‘careless driving’ in England, with the country’s police forces having the power to hand out on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points to those who commit such offences.
“Middle lane hogging and tailgating are far more than mere annoyances for drivers,” warned RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, adding that these actions “put everyone on the roads at risk.”
He continued in his reaction to the release of the latest National Highways figures: “Closely following another motorist could easily result in a serious collision should the driver ahead need to brake sharply for any reason, so the fact nearly one in four drivers admitted to doing so on some of England’s fastest and busiest roads is frightening”.
Mr Dennis said he understands that offenders “might find these habits hard to kick”, but that’s why the urgent calls for motorists to make changes are “so important”.
“By understanding that how we choose to drive affects others, we can each make a real difference to the safety of our roads,” he concluded.